When you come in to our Cortland, New York location, we will introduce ourselves and our practice and then get to know you. We will talk about your work, hobbies, medical history, and will look for any significant event that may have triggered hearing loss.

We will perform a series of tests that will help determine the type and severity of hearing loss. We recommend bringing in a family member or friend who may recognize signs of your hearing loss, such as missing words in a conversation or having the television louder than normal.

Tests

First, we will use an instrument called an otoscope to look inside your ear for blockages caused by wax buildup, infections, or other issues.

Next, we will enter into a soundproof booth for the following tests:

Pure Tone (Air & Bone) testing: We will place headphones over your ears and then a bone oscillator behind your ear which will deliver a series of tones to the ears. You indicate when you hear a tone, and the results are recorded. We will look for differences between the headphone tests and the bone tests to help determine the cause of any hearing loss.

Speech Discrimination: You will listen to spoken or recorded words and will be asked to repeat them. This test measures your ability to understand speech at a comfortable listening level.

Tympanometry: A pressure probe is gently placed in your ear canal to test for fluid, issues with the bones in the middle ear, and other blockage problems.

After the tests, we will go over your results with an in-depth consultation. If the hearing test determine you are a candidate for hearing aids, we’ll discuss your options and demonstrate available models to find the right hearing aids for you.

If you think you may be experiencing hearing loss, make an appointment at our Cortland, New York location today.